FY 2026 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders (YALI Fellowship)

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a flagship initiative under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Launched in 2014, the YALI Fellowship aims to strengthen ties between the United States and emerging African leaders across key sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. As of 2026, the program has supported a network of approximately 7,800 professionals and innovators, fostering long-term collaboration and alignment with U.S. foreign policy interests in areas such as trade, technology, governance, and security. Through immersive academic residencies, professional exchanges, and reciprocal engagement opportunities, the Fellowship is designed to deepen cross-cultural understanding and support sustainable development. The FY 2026 funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: DFOP0017991) offers a single cooperative agreement of approximately $15 million to administer the Fellowship. The selected organization will be responsible for all program components, including designing and implementing short-term academic institutes for approximately 550 African Fellows, professional development placements for 50 participants, and reciprocal exchange opportunities for 80 U.S. citizens. Institutes will focus on three specialized tracks: Business and Trade, Emerging Technologies, and Governance and Security. Each six-week institute will take place on accredited U.S. college or university campuses and will include academic coursework, site visits, community service, and structured networking with American professionals. Applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofit organizations or accredited postsecondary educational institutions with at least four years of experience conducting international exchanges. Each selected institute will receive approximately $250,000 through subawards. The program also includes a Reciprocal Exchange component, providing small grants (up to $6,000 per U.S. participant) for American professionals to travel to Sub-Saharan Africa and build collaborative projects with Fellowship alumni. Further, the awardee will manage ongoing alumni engagement and maintain a comprehensive alumni database encompassing all cohorts since 2014. The application process requires submission via Grants.gov by May 26, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Required components include a SF-424 form, executive summary, proposal narrative, line-item budget (SF-424A), and a budget narrative. All applications must comply with additional guidelines outlined in the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) and the Project Objectives, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) document. Only one submission per applicant will be considered. Registrations with SAM.gov and MyGrants are mandatory, and organizations must have a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Evaluation of proposals will be based on several criteria including program design, institutional capacity, follow-on alumni activities, cost-effectiveness, and performance monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans. Proposals must include a comprehensive M&E strategy aligned with ECA’s MODE Framework, covering objectives like cross-cultural competence, civic engagement, and network building. Selected applicants will also be expected to maintain compliance with J-visa regulations and Department of State branding requirements. The anticipated award date is July 27, 2026, and the performance period is 18 months. ECA intends to renew the award for two additional consecutive years, subject to funding and program performance. The program's first group of Fellows under this cycle will travel to the United States in summer 2027. ECA will maintain substantial involvement throughout the program, including final participant selection and review of all major programmatic materials. All questions should be directed to Natalie Spencer at the U.S. Department of State via email at [email protected] or by phone at 202-632-9445.

Include a detailed alumni engagement plan and ensure full compliance with MODE M&E framework; budget should emphasize cost-effectiveness and direct impact.